The First
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: Rapunzel was the first. The first person whom he had ever told his real name to...and the first person he felt that he had ever truly loved. Just a short little one-shot based on one of the lines in the movie.


**I know that I said that I did not have any further Tangled fics planned, but I was thinking about the movie and, just like my other story, this idea came up and would not leave me alone until I wrote it down. Go figure, it's another fic from the perspective of our favorite lovable bandit. It's just so easy to explore his life, though.**

**Like my other story, this one is also just going to be a one-shot. Hopefully, a full-length story idea will come to me soon because I really do enjoy this movie.**

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Grade Level: 4.6

"_For the record, I like Eugene __Fitzherbert __much better than Flynn Rider."_

"_Well, then you'd be the first, but thank you."_

….

I, Flynn Rider, had clearly made a name for myself. The whole kingdom knew it. It was plastered all over every wanted poster. Everywhere you looked there was another one. Needless to say, I did not need anyone. I need no help. Yes, I had two henchmen for quite some time, but it wasn't like I needed them. At the earliest opportunity, I ditched them.

No, I did not need anyone, especially her. One of my weaker moments was when I took refuge in a seemingly abandoned tower in a picturesque cove with a waterfall from a pure, cool mountain spring. I was ready to celebrate my newest victory, the crown of the lost princess, but before I could, I was struck down.

This girl, the fiery Rapunzel, could have easily been the devil in disguise. She took the crown from me and hid it. The only way to get it back was to lead her on a quest to see that light show that the King and Queen put on each year on the lost princess's birthday. Unfortunately, there was no way that I could refuse. I needed that crown. It was my best steal yet.

So, the quest began, much to my dismay. At every possible turn, I tried to find opportunities to sway her conscious, to call this whole thing off, get the crown and be on my way once again. Alone. That was the way I worked best. Alone.

The quest persisted, but it was very uncomfortable. Neither of us wished to share much about ourselves to the other. We became a very unlikely duo. Yet, somehow, from fighting off those two thugs (hadn't I gotten rid of them?) and the palace guards (hadn't I gotten rid of them too?), we were pretty well in-sync and we managed to make it out alive. Of course, when I say out, I mean that we made it out of danger alive. There was still one other problem to get ourselves out of then. We were trapped in a cave that was rapidly filling up with water from the dam that had broken during the fight.

We tried everything. I looked underwater for an escape. Rapunzel hit around the rocks with her frying pan (ironically the "weapon" she had used to knock me out cold multiple times at that tower). It was no use, though. The rocks would not budge and it was too dark to find any exit underwater. Was this the end for the charming bandit Flynn Rider and his…accomplice? What was Rapunzel to me anyway? I was a loner. I worked best alone. Yet, the time I had spent with her…

"I'm so…I'm so sorry, Flynn."

What was she apologizing to me for? Neither of us could have prevented this. We had done the best we could. The odds just weren't in our favor. No, what was I thinking? We couldn't just give up like this? But…what choice did we have?

Well, if this was the end for us, I might as well tell her the truth. Breathing a sigh, I softly spoke in reply, "Eugene".

This halted her crying as she asked me, "What?"

Now for the full explanation, I told her, "My real name is Eugene Fitzherbert. Someone might as well know."

Surprisingly enough, this one little revelation led to our escape from the watery cave of doom when, in return, she revealed to me that her hair was magical and glows when she sings. It was hard to get used to, I mean, she does have a lot of hair, but to think it could do…that. That was a shocker, much more so than my real name.

Still, she was the first one to learn this. Ever since I changed my name to Flynn Rider, that was the name I had gone by. Not even those two henchmen knew of my orphaned alter-ego. She, Rapunzel, was the first.

Now that we were alive, maybe I could tell her the rest about my past. Would she accept me if I told her or would she hate me for lying about myself? This was the first time that I had ever considered something like this. Maybe it is because this is the first time that I've ever met a girl like Rapunzel. There was no mistaking it. This had to be the first time that I truly felt love and that I had someone to love.

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**Note to self: Never break up writing a one-shot story into more than one sitting. I'm pretty sure it took me four sittings to get this written and I'm almost certain that it veered from my intentions. I hope you liked it anyway. If all goes well, I'll be back with a longer Tangled fic soon enough, but until then, thanks for reading the one-shots I have written for this category.**


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